TV-Series
Description
Arthur Young, originally named Ittetsu Hoshi, was a former third baseman for the Yomiuri Giants from 1942 to 1948. His professional baseball career halted when a shoulder injury sustained during World War II military service forced him out. Upon returning, he developed the dangerous "Devil's Fastball" (魔速球, Ma sokkyū), a pitch intentionally threatening batters. Giants manager Kawakami condemned this technique as violating the team's honor, leading to Ittetsu's retirement.
After his career ended, he lived impoverished in a Doya-gai tenement, working as a day laborer. His wife Harue's death deepened his bitterness and alcoholism, driving him to impose extreme baseball training on his naturally right-handed son Hyūma. Methods included forcing Hyūma to use only his left hand, encasing him in a stunting "Dai League Ball Training Cast," and pitching gasoline-soaked flaming baseballs at him to counter rival techniques. These stemmed from Ittetsu's unfulfilled ambition to make Hyūma a star for the Giants, symbolized by pointing to the stars and declaring Hyūma would shine among them.
When Hyūma attended Seiun High School, Ittetsu accepted a coaching position at Daizō Ban's request but resigned before the Tokyo tournament once the team reached Kōshien-level capability. Later, in the 1968 offseason, he rejected an offer to coach the Giants' second team. He instead joined the Chunichi Dragons as a coach under the condition they acquire batter Ozuma from the St. Louis Cardinals, choosing jersey number 84 to symbolize perfection when combined with Hyūma's Giants number 16 (totaling 100).
His Dragons coaching subjected players like Ozuma and Hyūma's friend Chūta Ban to brutal training regimens. He traded for Chūta specifically to transform him into Hyūma's "assassin," intensifying their rivalry. After Hyūma defeated Ozuma's enhanced batting with a new pitch (Dai League Ball No. 2), Ittetsu acknowledged Hyūma's victory in their final confrontation. An anime-original scene showed him carrying the injured Hyūma from the stadium, symbolizing the end of their conflict.
In sequels like *Shin Kyojin no Hoshi* (1977) and *Shin Kyojin no Hoshi II* (1979), his role evolved. When Hyūma faced a career-threatening arm injury, Akiko blamed Ittetsu's harsh methods, though rival Mitsuru Hanagata intervened, attributing such injuries to athletic risks. Ittetsu's philosophy was encapsulated in his Phoenix speech urging Hyūma to rise repeatedly from adversity like the mythical bird.
Later OVAs (*Special Edition: Fierce Tiger Hanagata*, 2002; *Special Edition: Father Ittetsu*, 2007) and alternate retellings explored his legacy. Quotes like "A flirtatious talented girl does a hundred harms" reflected his rigid worldview. The narrative also revealed his younger self as a "Brooding Boy" softened by Harue's gentleness, a dynamic that collapsed after her death.
After his career ended, he lived impoverished in a Doya-gai tenement, working as a day laborer. His wife Harue's death deepened his bitterness and alcoholism, driving him to impose extreme baseball training on his naturally right-handed son Hyūma. Methods included forcing Hyūma to use only his left hand, encasing him in a stunting "Dai League Ball Training Cast," and pitching gasoline-soaked flaming baseballs at him to counter rival techniques. These stemmed from Ittetsu's unfulfilled ambition to make Hyūma a star for the Giants, symbolized by pointing to the stars and declaring Hyūma would shine among them.
When Hyūma attended Seiun High School, Ittetsu accepted a coaching position at Daizō Ban's request but resigned before the Tokyo tournament once the team reached Kōshien-level capability. Later, in the 1968 offseason, he rejected an offer to coach the Giants' second team. He instead joined the Chunichi Dragons as a coach under the condition they acquire batter Ozuma from the St. Louis Cardinals, choosing jersey number 84 to symbolize perfection when combined with Hyūma's Giants number 16 (totaling 100).
His Dragons coaching subjected players like Ozuma and Hyūma's friend Chūta Ban to brutal training regimens. He traded for Chūta specifically to transform him into Hyūma's "assassin," intensifying their rivalry. After Hyūma defeated Ozuma's enhanced batting with a new pitch (Dai League Ball No. 2), Ittetsu acknowledged Hyūma's victory in their final confrontation. An anime-original scene showed him carrying the injured Hyūma from the stadium, symbolizing the end of their conflict.
In sequels like *Shin Kyojin no Hoshi* (1977) and *Shin Kyojin no Hoshi II* (1979), his role evolved. When Hyūma faced a career-threatening arm injury, Akiko blamed Ittetsu's harsh methods, though rival Mitsuru Hanagata intervened, attributing such injuries to athletic risks. Ittetsu's philosophy was encapsulated in his Phoenix speech urging Hyūma to rise repeatedly from adversity like the mythical bird.
Later OVAs (*Special Edition: Fierce Tiger Hanagata*, 2002; *Special Edition: Father Ittetsu*, 2007) and alternate retellings explored his legacy. Quotes like "A flirtatious talented girl does a hundred harms" reflected his rigid worldview. The narrative also revealed his younger self as a "Brooding Boy" softened by Harue's gentleness, a dynamic that collapsed after her death.